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"Zakariyya Hashim. Age - 24. Undergraduate dropout from University of California, Riverside. Currently, a barista at Wednesday's Cafe. Younger brother: Isa Hashim. Age - 6. Student at Silicon Valley Academy, Grade 1. Parents passed away three years ago. Only two brothers that live in Santa Clara, Silicon Valley." Kashif read out for Kinza, who listened with rapt attention. Her entwined hands resting on the wooden table in her office and her chin making a place on her white knuckles. She nodded her head at him as he completed.
"And the girl?"
"Yasmin Bilal Khan. 24 years old. Also, a barista, a coffee designer to be precise at Wednesday's Cafe. Lives in Willow Glen with her husband, Wahaj Daarim Ahmed." He vociferated with a slight frown on his forehead and Kinza almost fell out of her revolving chair.
"What did you just say?" She shrieked in disbelief at him and Kashif pursed his lips.
"Yes, Yasmin Bilal Khan is married." He plainly affirmed her shock.
"Are you kidding me right now? He's going bonkers for a married lady?!" She all but screamed in frustration, pushing back her seat while rising up. She had a hand pulling her hair with her teeth grinding against each other.
"But, from what I've been able to find out, her husband - Wahaj is indulged in domestic violence. No solid cases as of yet but he does abuse his wife." He stated with a restrained voice as if speaking about it insulted him being a man. For Kashif, a man who uses his strength on a woman does not deserve to walk on the face of this Earth with his head held high, and Wahaj was a living example of that.
"W-what?" Kinza stammered in yet another shock and guilt began gnawing at her heart. She looked at Kashif for confirmation and he stiffly nodded his head at the ugly piece of information.
"How long has she been married for?" She asked with a meek voice, afraid of any detail she'd know about Yasmin's life.
"Three years. She got engaged at 20 and married at 21." Kashif responded, placing the papers at Kinza's desk while the lady gulped at the thought of what Yasmin went through. Three whole years of suffering?
"Did she not file a case against him?" She asked in confusion, her dark brows dipping inwards with her concern.
"From what I could find out, just one or two cases from her family's side which were later dropped. However, she personally has not complained in all the time she's lived with him." He spoke, mentally making a note on checking why the cases were not taken further or why the woman would not want to fight.
Kinza poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down, leaning on her table due to the sweat of perplexity. Her hands went all clammy and she didn't know where to head. Is that why Zakariyya had a thing for Yasmin?
Kinza watched with squinted eyes under her glasses as she supported herself by the door of the car, resting her back on it. Her eyes raked over the people that came out of the cafe with Kashif at a distance from her, keeping an eye on everything.
